User blog:BeastMan14/Review: "El Camino" Is A Tense, Satisfying Conclusion to the Tale of Jesse Pinkman
It shouldn't have worked. An epilogue to the perfect finale of one of the greatest shows of all time felt unnecessary at the time of announcement, with the risk of tarnishing Breaking Bad's well-earned conclusion. In hindsight, we should've never doubted Vince Gilligan, who returns to the character of Jesse Pinkman a final time and wraps up the entire story in an immensely cathartic thrill ride with El Camino. '' '''NOTE: This does spoil several cameos in the film, so if you want to be surprised, don't read this review.' The Cast El Camino is a return to the story of Breaking Bad six years later, with numerous returning cast members and several shocks in the terms of role reprisals. The biggest surprise is that the entire cast effortlessly return to these roles with zero growing pains. There's a few physical differences, but they're easy to dismiss because of how well-acted this film is. Of course, this is a singular vehicle for Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, and he's unsurprisingly excellent in the turn that made him a star. Paul plays Pinkman with his usual vulnerability and scrappiness, but adds an understated level of experience and trauma with simple expressions and physical tics. It's a subtle performance, but makes a lot of Jesse's interactions seem even more bittersweet, as the boisterous gangster wannabe has been replaced with a traumatized, tired man. The biggest complaint (if you can even consider that) is that the rest of the cast are ultimately just stepping stones, basically cameos in Jesse's journey, even if it does work to create a sense of finality with these characters. The most crucial to the plot, strangely enough, is Jesse Plemons's Todd Alquist, a performance that makes your skin crawl with it's mixture of forced friendliness and casual sociopathy. Plemons and Paul have an effective back and forth, and several of the film's highlight scenes are watching their bizarre "friendship" play out. Jesse's actual friends, Badger and Skinny Pete, return as well, and Matt Jones and Charles Baker are given a chance to show a softer, realer side to characters that were rarely ever more than comic relief, and the (all too brief) scenes with them feel like moments of sanctuary in an otherwise harrowing experience. The remaining cast appearances are smaller, but each feels vital and earned. The late Robert Forster is great as the mysterious Ed the Vacuum Salesman, using gruffness and experience to hide moments of quiet sympathy. It's a great final performance and reminder as to why Forster was such an excellent character actor. The film's only new character is Neil, an ally of Jack's gang and welder who comes into conflict with Jesse, played by Scott MacArthur in a wonderfully sleazy role that he's quickly becoming a go-to for. (Anyone that liked him in this should absolutely check out The Righteous Gemstones, where he plays a similarly scummy character.) And of course, there are appearances from the most influential figures in Jesse's journey, all given a scene to impart wisdom. Jonathan Banks's Mike has a bittersweet opening exchange about redemption with Jesse that has an air of tragedy with hindsight, Krysten Ritter's Jane (in one of the more surprising returns) argues about fate in one of the film's most quietly brutal scenes, and in the most triumphant scene, Bryan Cranston perfectly slides back into the part of Walter White, showing a gentler, warmer side to Walt that seemed long dead in the face of Heisenberg. Despite the often limited screentime, every part in El Camino feels crucial, serving as an effective last hurrah with each scene. Score: 4 out of 5 The Script El Camino not only manages to feel exactly like an extended episode of Breaking Bad, but also justify it's own existence as it reflects on the story of Jesse Pinkman and brings his character arc to a close. It's tense, unpredictable, and often clever in it's dialogue and sense of both humor and pacing, leaving you on the edge of your seat and knowing when to break the tension. Most impressively, it picks up mere seconds after the finale, hitting the ground running as we realize that because Jesse is free from Jack's gang doesn't mean he isn't a wanted man. What ensues is a desperate scramble for survival as Jesse, rapidly running out of friends and with the police on his trail, sets off to cobble together a way out of New Mexico. The script is packed with call backs to the show, but never feels like it's bombarding you with fanservice, and it remembers the quiet character moments were what ultimately made Breaking Bad so great, moving it's characters to a proper ending in one of the most satisfying endings in recent memory. Score: 5 out of 5 The Direction While the script helps El Camino feel like an episode of the show, Vince Gilligan and cinematographer Marshall Adams work hard to ensure that it feels properly cinematic. The film fully takes advantage of the setting to create some dazzling shots both from afar and up-close, and there's several immensely creative sequences throughout the film that deserve praise. (One scene of Jesse raiding an apartment is very clever, as is a shootout that goes from intense to slapstick near the end of the film.) Credit also goes towards Skip Macdonald's editing, which works well to maximize the poignancy and tension of the film's flashbacks and more nerve-wracking sequences, and the score of Dave Porter, the original composer for Breaking Bad who returns to do similarly good work here. El Camino, ultimately, feels like someone greatly upgraded the budget of the show to give the film a proper sense of finality and scale. Score: 4.5 out of 5 Final Verdict El Camino felt like coming home. For fans of the show, the film is a cathartic thrillride from the start to finish, and the final moments will almost certainly a tear or a triumphant "Yeah, bitch!" while more casual viewers will be able to appreciate the acting and craft behind the story. All in all, it's a fitting ending to one of TV's greatest sagas. Final Score: 90% Potential Ballot Spots: *Best Picture *Best Director: Vince Gilligan (in a weaker year) *Best Actor: Aaron Paul *Best Male Limited Performance: Bryan Cranston *Best Male Limited Performance: Robert Forster *Best Female Limited Performance: Krysten Ritter *Best Adapted Screenplay *Best Cinematography *Best Film Editing *Best Original Score Category:Blog posts Category:Reviews Category:2019 Reviews